A Surprise Vacation for Charlotte: Cars and Monsters Edition

Although the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our focus, there were other things to see and do in the Universal parks. For instance, I didn't know I could visit the Mel's Drive-In from American Graffiti. It looked good in Christmas decor. 

That reminds me. We also saw a lot of cool vehicles. 

John Milner's '32 Coupe:

Steve Bolander's '58 Impala:

Dr. Emmett Brown's DeLorean:

The Mystery Inc. van:

The Bluesmobile:

A random Vespa near our hotel:

And I can't forget Sirius Black's motorbike ( It's only fair to let Daphne drive since she does all the planning for our trips):

Of all the vehicles we saw, I have to admit this was our favorite. 

Daphne had read that the Horror Make Up Show was a "hidden gem" experience, "In this outrageous live show you'll watch how top make-up and special effects artists craft some of the creepy characters you've seen on the big screen. Featuring movie clips, props, and interactive demonstrations, this experience offers fascinatingly funny insight into the moviemaking process."

I have to enthusiastically agree. It was an all-ages comedy act with fake blood and monster surprises. When the show began, one of the presenters ran through the audience with a knife handle sticking out of his bloody chest. When he asked Daphne for help, she started to get out of her seat. She promptly sat down when he explained he needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 

He replied, "Don't 'cha at least want to think about it?" She didn't.

Here are a few of the movie props you can see in the lobby.

The Thing (1982). This is one of the more memorable moments (to put it mildly) in this film:

An American Werewolf in London (1981). One of the funniest, scary movies I have seen:

Jaws (1975) This prop is from the other "popcorn in the air" scare:

I hadn't seen this poster for Frankenstien (1931) before. I really admire how the golden ratio is used to give this a sense of movement. 

Speaking of monsters, the Jaws ride may be gone, but you can still pose with one of the Sharks from the film.

I wouldn't ever want to see this in real life. 

Flirting with danger.

I'll finish up with this image. It's a nice transition to my next post.